NHTSA Complaint #11340290 — 2013 SUBARU BRZ

I TOOK MY 2013 SUBARU BRZ TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP FOR THE WTY84 FA20 VALVE SPRING RECALL ON DECEMBER 24, 2019. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT MY CAR FOR THREE MONTHS AND I PICKED UP MY CAR ON MARCH 31, 2020 AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED. TWO AND A HALF MONTHS LATER, AND ONLY 1,600 MILES SINCE THE REPAIRS, ON JUNE 19, 2020 MY CAR STARTED LOSING POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND STALLED. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR. STRANDED, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TOW MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER CHECKED THE BATTERY, WHICH WAS IN GOOD HEALTH, AND TRIED TO JUMP-START THE ENGINE BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. HE CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL AND IMMEDIATELY SAW METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL ADHERING TO THE DIPSTICK. HE LATER TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND THIS TIME THE CAR STARTED BUT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A LOUD HORRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE. AT THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE HAD A ROD KNOCK, AND POSSIBLE BROKEN ROD BEARING WITH SIGNS OF ENGINE FAILURE AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $1,450 FOR A TEAR DOWN TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM, AND ADDITIONAL FOR ANY REPAIRS. THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN ANY METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL PRIOR TO THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRS BEING DONE AND I HAVE NEVER HAD THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE. REGULAR OIL CHANGES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED EVERY 5,000 TO 7,500 MILES BY A LICENSED MECHANIC USING ONLY MOBIL 1 FULL SYNTHETIC MOTOR OIL AND OIL QUALITY AND LEVELS HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT BETWEEN CHANGES. THE CAR HAS 72,000 MILES AND HAS WORKED WONDERFULLY UP UNTIL NOW.